Posts Tagged Leadership

Last year at my alma mater, a committee was formed to investigate why there were so few women in student government leadership. When the committee presented its findings in March of this year, this was one of them:

Although some women do run for elected office, many students choose less visible jobs behind the scenes. However, some women have expressed interest in more prominent posts and were actively discouraged by other students.

The committee found that on my former campus, as on many others, I’m sure, when women consider running for “visible campus posts” that require active campaigning, they “get the message from peers that such posts are more appropriately sought by men.” They get the message that woman’s ...

Last year at my alma mater, a committee was formed to investigate why there were so few women in student government leadership. When the committee presented its findings in March of this year, this was one ...

Who among us hasn’t heard the oft repeated quotation from Mahatma Gandi: “Be the change you wish to see in the world”?

Well, as I was sitting in front of 80 high school aged-girls last week talking about body image, media activism, gender, feminism, and so much more, it occurred to me that a spin off that deserves popularizing is, “Be the culture you wish to be a part of in the world.” It’s happening at the Girls Leadership Institute (GLI)–a training institute and summer camp fostering authentic leadership in girls. It’s happening at Feministing. It’s happening in all kinds of feminist organizations and friend circles–formal and informal. We make change by creating subcultures where our values–about equality and ...

Who among us hasn’t heard the oft repeated quotation from Mahatma Gandi: “Be the change you wish to see in the world”?

Well, as I was sitting in front of 80 high school aged-girls last week talking ...

Check out the editor of the Yemen Times, Nadia Al-Sakkaf, talking with Paley Center President Pat Michell at TEDGlobal, about uprising, the power of the press, and women’s ingenuity. As TED explains: “Al-Sakkaf’s independent, English-language paper is vital for sharing news–and for sharing a new vision of Yemen and of that country’s women as equal partners in work and change.”

Check out the editor of the Yemen Times, Nadia Al-Sakkaf, talking with Paley Center President Pat Michell at TEDGlobal, about uprising, the power of the press, and women’s ingenuity. As TED explains: “Al-Sakkaf’s independent, English-language paper is ...

“The No. 1 impediment to women succeeding in the workforce is now in the home…” or so says Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook, who was profiled in a recent issue of The New Yorker. Sandberg has been traveling the speaking circuit for the last year or so, talking about what women need to do in order to finally achieve parity in the workplace. At TEDWomen, of the “high-income part of the workforce”:

Women are dropping out. Now people talk about this a lot, and they talk about things like flex time and mentoring and programs companies should have to train women. Today I want to focus on what we can do as individuals. What are the messages we ...

“I think it’s important for shy girls to be able to be seen as leaders too,” said the, no doubt, shy girl sitting among a circle of 20 or so middle schoolers at a girls’ leadership summer camp. We were brainstorming a list of leadership qualities that we–not the media, not parents, not teachers, not even friends–deemed critical.

I thought this point was not only brave, but very astute. As I make the rounds of girls’ leadership development programs and camps this summer (I’m thrilled to be headed to The Girls Leadership Institute next month, co founded by one of my favorite human beings, Rachel Simmons), I’ve been thinking a lot about the kind of leadership model we are ...

“I think it’s important for shy girls to be able to be seen as leaders too,” said the, no doubt, shy girl sitting among a circle of 20 or so middle schoolers at a girls’ leadership summer ...

There’s been a lot of talk about Malcolm X this week, in no small part because a critical biography was just released that includes new information about his life and death, written by the amazing Dr. Manning Marable, who tragically died just three days before his long labored-over book was published. Dr. Marable was actually my professor for Introduction to African American Studies as an undergrad; he was a charismatic and committed teacher, the kind who always had time for students and I’m deeply grateful to have known him.

When I think of Malcolm and his legacy, one of the most salient parts of his leadership is his capacity to change and grow in public. Unlike so many of the ...

There’s been a lot of talk about Malcolm X this week, in no small part because a critical biography was just released that includes new information about his life and death, written by the amazing Dr. ...

Tasmania is a tiny island at the bottom of Australia. Most people outside of Tasmania know very little about Tasmania. Most people outside of Australia know almost nothing, but can usually bring a certain Warner Brothers cartoon character to mind if they try hard enough. But here is something cool about Tasmania that you will know at your next trivia night that no one else will: Tasmania just got its first woman Premier.

Lara Giddings was the youngest person ever elected to Australian parliament, winning her seat when she was just 23 years old (which makes this 23-year-old feel like a total underachiever). This week, she became the first woman to be sworn in as Premier of the state of ...

Tasmania is a tiny island at the bottom of Australia. Most people outside of Tasmania know very little about Tasmania. Most people outside of Australia know almost nothing, but can usually bring a certain Warner Brothers cartoon ...

Here’s what I love about the new MORE Magazine article on “The New Feminists”:
Their self-professed motivation was to halt the seemingly endless lament, “There are no young feminists,” and show some of them, listen to them, and highlight their work.
Feministing is represented heartily (go Perez! go Jess! go me!).
There is actually quite a range of thoughtful commentary in the various snippets collected–everything from birth rights to authentic masculinity to manga is covered.
The cover is none other than Jane Lynch.

I missed the photo shoot, as did all the other Feministing editors featured, but Tracy Clark-Flory has an interesting reflection on it over at Salon. She writes:

Maybe 90 percent of the time was spent in hair, makeup and wardrobe. Faces were ...

Here’s what I love about the new MORE Magazine article on “The New Feminists”:
Their self-professed motivation was to halt the seemingly endless lament, “There are no young feminists,” and show some of them, listen to them, and ...